Diascia plant named ‘Dala Depsam’

ABSTRACT

A new  Diascia  plant named ‘Data Depsam’ particularly distinguished by the glossy medium red flowers with medium green foliage; excellent floriferousness and a dense upright habit; has superb heat tolerance and garden performance.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Diasciabarbarae.

Varietal denomination: ‘Dala Depsam’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new Diascia, botanically known asDiascia barberae, and hereinafter referred to by the variety name ‘DalaDepsam’.

‘Data Depsam’ is a product of a planned breeding program. The newcultivar has glossy medium red flowers with medium green foliage;excellent floriferousness and a dense upright habit; has superb heattolerance and garden performance.

‘Data Depsam’ originated from a hybridization made in June 2005 in acontrolled breeding environment in Andijk, Netherlands. The femaleparent was the unpatented, proprietary plant designated ‘DS05-115-1’with fewer, larger orange flowers, lighter green foliage, and lessbranching.

The male parent of ‘Data Depsam’ was an unpatented, proprietary plantdesignated ‘DS05-103-4’ with less intense deep salmon colored flowers,shorter stems, and larger leaves. The resultant seeds were sown inOctober 2005.

‘Data Depsam’ was selected as one flowering plant within the progeny ofthe stated cross in the January, 2006 in a controlled environment inAndijk, The Netherlands.

The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘Dala Depsam’ was accomplishedwhen vegetative cuttings were propagated from the initial selection inJanuary 2006 in a controlled environment in Andijk, Netherlands.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Horticultural examination of plants grown from cuttings of the plantinitiated in Andijk, Netherlands, and continuing thereafter, hasdemonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosedfor ‘Data Depsam’ are firmly fixed and are retained through successivegenerations of asexual reproduction.

‘Data Depsam’ has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations inenvironment such as temperature, light intensity and day length.

Plant Breeder's Rights for this cultivar were applied for in Canada onFeb. 18, 2010 (10-6846) and in CVPO on Apr. 26, 2010 (2010/0898). ‘DataDepsam’ has not been made publicly available more than one year prior tothe filing of this application.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of the new variety. The combination of thesecharacteristics distinguishes this Diascia as a new and distinctvariety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographic drawing shows typical flower and foliagecharacteristics of ‘Data Depsam’ with colors being as true as possiblewith an illustration of this type. The photographic drawing shows 3flowering potted plants of the new variety and a close-up of theflowers.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs were taken in April 2010 of plantsgrowing in a greenhouse trial in Gilroy, Calif. USA. These plants weregrowing in 8 inch basket pots and were approximately 15-16 weeks of age.

The plant descriptions and measurements were taken in mid July 2010 inAndijk, Netherlands. The plants were grown for 8 weeks in a greenhousetrial and then planted outdoors in window boxes with 5 plants in eachbox.

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart (R.H.S.) 2001.

TABLE 1 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW VARIETY ‘DALA DEPSAM’ AND A VARIETYOF MOST SIMILAR COLOR ‘Diastina’ (U.S. ‘Dala Depsam’ Plant Pat. No.13,932) Flower size: Larger Smaller Foliage color: Darker green Lightergreen Stem thickness: Thicker Thinner Flower color: RHS 39A RHS 25C Spurlength: Shorter Little longer

TABLE 2 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW VARIETY ‘DALA DEPSAM’ AND A SIMILAROR SAME PEDIGREE ‘Dala Orange’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,905) Flowercolor: RHS red group RHS orange-red group Flower diameter: NarrowerWider Spur length: Slightly shorter Slightly longer Spur color: Moreorange-red with Red-pink red-purple apex Bud color: More pinkishOrange-red

-   Plant:    -   -   Form, growth and habit.—Initially compact, rounded and            mounded; then becoming a little some-what trailing; freely            branching, terminal pinching enhances branching habit.        -   Plant height.—15 cm.        -   Plant height (inflorescence included).—23 cm.        -   Plant width.—48 cm.-   Roots:    -   -   Number of days to initiate and develop roots.—16-20 days at            about 22 degrees C.        -   Type.—Fine, fibrous, free branching.        -   Color.—RHS N155B but whiter.-   Foliage:    -   -   Arrangement.—Simple; decussate.        -   Immature, leaf color, upper surface.—RHS 141B.        -   Lower surface.—RHS 138B.        -   Mature, leaf color, upper surface.—RHS 135A.        -   Lower surface.—RHS 146A.        -   Length.—2-2.5 cm.        -   Width.—1.9-2.2 cm.        -   Shape.—Deltoid.        -   Base shape.—Truncate.        -   Apex shape.—Acute.        -   Margin.—Weakly dentate.        -   Texture, upper surface.—Shiny and glabrous.        -   Lower surface.—Glabrous.        -   Color of veins, upper surface.—RHS 135A.        -   Color of veins, lower surface.—RHS 135A.        -   Petiole color.—RHS 141C.        -   Length.—0.5 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.2 cm.        -   Texture.—Glabrous.-   Stem:    -   -   Quantity of main branches.—35-45.        -   Color of stem.—RHS 141B.        -   Length of stem.—20-25 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.25-0.3 cm.        -   Length of internodes.—2.5-3.0 cm.        -   Texture.—Glabrous.        -   Color of raceme.—RHS 141B.        -   Length of raceme.—5-7 cm.        -   Diameter of raceme.—0.2 cm.        -   Texture.—Glabrous.        -   Pedicel color.—RHS 59A.        -   Pedicel length.—0.7-1.1 cm.        -   Pedicel diameter.—0.05 cm.        -   Pedicel texture.—Finely pubescent.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—Terminal raceme with flowers in an alternate            arrangement.        -   Blooming habit.—Flowering freely and continuously from the            spring into the fall.        -   Quantity of inflorescences per plant.—70-80 in various            stages.        -   Quantity of inflorescences per lateral stem.—14-18 flowers            and buds in various stages of development.        -   Lastingness of individual blooms on the plant.—4-5 days            depending on the weather and temperatures.        -   Fragrance.—None.-   Bud (when first opening/showing color):    -   -   Color.—RHS 65D and RHS 61A.        -   Length.—0.3 cm.        -   Width.—0.5 cm.        -   Shape.—Conical.-   Immature flower:    -   -   Diameter.—1.4 cm.        -   Color, upper surface.—RHS 39A.        -   Lower surface.—RHS 39C.-   Mature flower:    -   -   Hortizontal diameter.—1.8-2.0 cm.        -   Vertical height.—2-2.2 cm.        -   Depth.—0.4 cm.        -   Color, upperside.—RHS 39A.        -   Underside.—RHS 39C.        -   Corolla tube color inside.—RHS 7A.        -   Outside.—RHS 9D.        -   Corolla tube length.—0.2 cm.        -   Corolla texture, outside.—Rugose.        -   All lobes, apex.—Rounded.        -   Base.—Fused.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture.—Glabrous.        -   Upper lobes, size, length.—0.4 cm.        -   Width: 0.5 cm.        -   Lateral lobes, length: 0.3 cm.        -   Width.—0.5 cm.        -   Lower lobes, length.—1-1.2 cm.        -   Width.—1.3-1.5 cm.        -   Spur, color.—RHS 39C; RHS 59A at the apex.        -   Length.—0.6 cm.        -   Width.—0.2 cm at the widest point.        -   Curvature.—Directed downwards.-   Calyx: Star-shaped with (5) sepal lobes slanting downward.    -   -   Sepal color.—RHS 139A.        -   Sepal length.—0.1 cm.        -   Sepal width.—0.1 cm.        -   Sepal shape.—Lanceolate.        -   Sepal apex.—Acute.        -   Sepal texture.—Weakly hirsuate.        -   Sepal anthocyanin.—Slightly at sepal apex of about RHS 59A.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Stamens.—4: arching towards and somewhat twisting around the            pistil.        -   Filament color.—RHS 59A.        -   Filament length.—0.25 cm.        -   Filament diameter.—0.1 cm.        -   Anther color.—RHS 7A.        -   Anther length.—0.05 cm.        -   Pollen color.—RHS 7A.        -   Pollen amount.—Abundant.        -   Pistil.—1 per flower.        -   Pistil length.—0.3 cm.        -   Style color.—RHS 145C.        -   Style length.—0.3 cm.        -   Stigma color.—RHS 13B.        -   Fertility/seed set.—Has not been observed on this hybrid.-   Disease/pest resistance: Disease/pest resistance has not been    observed on this hybrid.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Diascia plant named‘Dala Depsam’ substantially as illustrated and described herein.